Marine mammal news, features and articles
Latest about Marine Mammals
Orcas aren't all the same species, study of North Pacific killer whales reveals
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
Scientists suggest that killer whales be divided into two distinct species.
Orca calf refuses to leave a lagoon where its mother stranded and died off Vancouver Island
By Sascha Pare published
Rescuers have been trying to coax a 2-year-old orca from a lagoon off Vancouver Island and back to the ocean for five days, but they only have a 30-minute window every day when waters are high.
Sperm whales drop giant poop bombs to save themselves from orca attack
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
A pod of sperm whales flung their poop at unsuspecting orcas to avoid a fatal attack.
Brutal footage shows orca mom and son team up to drown another pod's calf
By Hannah Osborne published
First of its kind footage captures the moment an orca mom and her son drown a calf in an extremely rare case of infanticide.
Beluga whales appear to change the shape of their melon heads to communicate, scientists discover
By Richard Pallardy published
Beluga whales appear to change the shape of their heads during encounters with one another in what scientists believe is a form of visual communication among this highly social species.
Why some whales go through menopause
By Gennaro Tomma published
Toothed whales appear to have lengthened their lifespan without lengthening their reproductive life so they can help care for their grandchildren, a new study suggests.
7,000 humpback whales died in the North Pacific over 10 years — and 'the blob' is to blame
By Elise Poore published
New research using artificial intelligence reveals that a decline in the North Pacific population of humpback whales between 2012 and 2021 coincided with the strongest marine heat wave recorded globally.
'Should not really exist in these waters': Scientists spot gray whale, thought to be extinct in the Atlantic, off Massachusetts coast
By Jennifer Nalewicki published
Scientists spotted a gray whale — believed to be extinct in the Atlantic Ocean — while conducting an aerial survey.
Male humpback whale seen forcing sex on emaciated, injured male in extremely rare encounter
By Sascha Pare published
Photographs taken off Maui, Hawaii, show the first documented case of a male humpback whale sexually penetrating another male, with the latter appearing injured and covered in parasites.
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